Days after Senegal’s World Cup campaign ended on July 1 with a 3-2 loss to Belgium in the Round of 32, Thiaw was fired on Sunday.
At a news conference in Dakar, FSF president Abdoulaye Fall stated, “There was a breakdown in trust between Pape Thiaw and us,” citing the initial inability to agree a new contract following Thiaw’s demand for additional funding.

In 2024, Thiaw, a 45-year-old former Senegalese international, became leadership of the national squad.

He had requested a pay raise from 20 million CFA (87,000) before departing for the World Cup.
In the end, the parties reached a 30,000 CFA deal for the World Cup and resolved other issues including bonuses.

Fall explained that on the day the team was scheduled to leave for the United States, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye persuaded Thiaw to change his mind after he had threatened to skip the World Cup if his demands were not fulfilled.

Fall stated that Thiaw refused to sit in the bench until the deal was finalized, therefore it was signed the night before their second tournament match against Norway.

Thiaw believed that “federation officials were his enemies,” which hindered the national team’s operations. Fall said.

The Lions of Teranga defeated Iraq 5-0 to secure their place in the knockout stages after losing to Norway and France in the World Cup group stage.
Under Thiaw, Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, but they were penalized for leaving the field during the turbulent final against Morocco.